Luggage sealing device



July 29, 1952 M. P. KOCH 2,604,961

LUGGAGE SEALING DEVICE Filed April 17, 1950 INVENTOR. MAURICE B may 4TT'ORNEK Patented July 29, 1952 I. .-J LUGGAGE sEAL nc DEVICE Maurice PKoch, San Francisco, Calif.

1 Application April-:17, 1951i,- sri No. 156,357 j @e c iaims.(01.190-28) inventicnrelates to asealedluggage. :The primary object ofthis invention is to pro- .vide coactin'gsealing edges on aluggage whichinterlock in such amanner as to positively prevent the passageofmoisture of any kind therethrough-into'or outof the luggage. A vParticularly it is an objectof this invention to provide an edge stripfor thelower portionof the luggage, and acomplementaledge strip on thecover edges of; the luggage so that, the edge strips telescope intooneanother when. the luggage is closed, and a resiliently compressible'seal within the-joint betweensaid strips; said strips being adapted tostraddle the respective edges and to form a moisture proof unionwithwalls of the luggage at said respective edges. I

I am'aware that some changes may be made in the general arrangements andcombinations of the several devices and parts, as Well as in the detailsof the construction thereof without .departing from the scope of thepresent invention as-set forth in the following specificatiomand asdefined-in the following claims; hence' I do not limit my invention tothe exact arrangements and combinations of the said device and parts asdescribed in the said specification, nor do I confine myself to theexact details of the construction of the said parts as illustrated inthe accompanying drawing.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be mademanifest in the following detailed description, reference is had to theaccompanying drawing for the illustrative embodiment of the invention,wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmental perspective view of a corner of the luggageshowing the top or cover partly raised, and h Fig. 2 is a sectional viewof a side of the luggage the cover being in closed position.

In the herein illustration my invention is shown in use on a luggagemade of waterproof and moistureproof materials, which are light butstrong, for instance molded from so called fiber glass sheets.

The body I of the luggage has integral sides 2. The cover 3 hascomplemental integral sides 4 arranged at angles to fit over the sides 2of the luggage body I. The cover is swingably attachable to the body inany suitable manner (not shown).

On the top edges 6 of each side 2 of the body I is secured a continuousfemale sealing strip 1. This female sealing strip 1 is made of asuitable light and waterproof material. The strip 1 has a slot 8extending from its bottom 9 to a suitable height. The width of the slot8 slidably fits over 2 j the top of the side 2-0: the luggage body|,-"so as to leave'aslight space' for a suitable cement forfixing'thestrip in place. i :1 The strip I thus straddles the top of the side 2.The slot 8 is offset with respect to the width'of the strip 1 so that itis nearer to the inner surface 9- than to the outer or'exposed surface H.of the stripl. "In otherwords',itheexposed leg of the strip lis thickerthan the insideleg l3, as 'thelegs [straddle the top of the. 'sidef2 andthe respective surfaces'ofsaid'side 2. V

'fl-In the. top of'the female strip] is formed-a extend overlongitudinal substantially: generally. V-shaped groove |4 which extends:along the full length of the female strip I; -,At the apexof.the.:V-shaped groove I4 is a channel it of generally circular crosssection connected tothe V=-'shaped groove J4 .by a mouth slit 17.:Aresilientlycompressible generally cylindrical. packing strip 8 ispacked into said channel, :1 6 .sqethatthepacking strip I 8projectsthrough th emouth slit 11 into theapexo f .theN-shaped; slot {4.1

5-;The top o cov r seal s a m l p which has a straddling slot -2;}fitting over the edges of the cover; sides k -similarly to the. fitting.ofqthe female strip TfOVBlf fihG bottom sides 2.

1The:slot,2l is offset toone side symmetrically to the relative lateraloffset of the slot 8 in the 'female strip 1, so that the exposed leg 22is thicker than the inside leg 23, and each preferably being of the samethickness as the respective legs l2 and I3 of the female sealing strip1.

vF'rom the edge of the male strip l9 farthest from the slot 2| extends asealing rib 24, which has sides converging from the strip i9 toward thefree tip or edge of the rib 24 at about the same relative angle as theangles of inclines of the respective sides of the V-shaped groove [4 ofthe female strip 1.

The V-shaped groove M has its base or wider end spaced from the oppositeside surfaces 9 and II of the female strip 1 so as to form ledges 2B ofequal width on each side of the base of the V- shaped groove l4.

On each side of the base of the male rib 24 is formed a ledge 21 whichare also of equal width. The total width of the male strip I9 is thesame as that of the female strip 1 so that the exposed surfaces andinside surfaces of the strips are in registry when the luggage isclosed. The distance from the base of the rib 24 to its rounded'tip orapex 28 is slightly larger than the distance from the base Of the grooveM to the mouth slit I1, so that the rounded tip 28 of the rib 24projects through said slit l7 and into the channel It for compressingthe packing strip [8 tightly against ale sealingstrip L9,

3 the sides of the channel It. This relative depth of the rib 24 and thegroove l4 also leaves a slight space between the respective oppositeledges 26 and 21.

The sealing edges herein described are furnished in strips which can becut or formed into suitable lengths and shapes to follow the contour ofthe exposed edges of the respective parts of a luggage, and: to form acontinuous sealing strip around the opposite-edges of the luggage. Asthe cover is closed tight the male rib 25 penetrates through the mouthslit H and 1 channel being substantially of the same diis pressedagainst the packing strip it. By.

providing a luggage the walls of which are made of moisture proofmaterial, the hereinrdescribed coacting sealing strips canrender.luggage completely moistureproof, waterproof and practical-' 1yhermetically sealed. l

I claim:

1. In a sealing device. forv the. meeting edges of:v separable parts ofa luggage, a female strip adapted to be secured overvthe edges of .oneof said separableparts, a malestrip adapted to be secured over theedgeslof the other separable part, saidrfemale-strip having alongitudinal groove in .its edge facing said male strip, said groovebeing substantially'ofx-V-shape cross section; a longitudinal rib on theedge ofithe male strip facing said female strip and: fitting; into saidgroove, a continuous: generally channel" formed along 'aboutthe apex ofsaid groove, said. rib being higherthan the distance from the base ofthe groove: to said channel, and

a' resi-li'ently compressible packing strip in'said channel, saidpacking strip being of substantiallythe same; diameter as the diameterof the channel-so that it'projects above said channel and-ihto said"groove in its expan'dedstate; each of 'said strips havingalongitudinal'slot' therein r adapted to straddletlie edges of aluggage, said slot being offset in each strip toward theinside of' saidstrip to leave a thiclrer leg for the" outside of the luggage;

2.'In "a sealing device for the'meeting edges of separable parts ofa-luggage, a -fernale strip adaptedto-be secured' over the edges" of oneof cylindrical 4, said separable parts, a male strip adapted to besecured over the edges of the other separable part, said female striphaving a longitudinal groove in its edge facing said male strip, saidgroove being substantially of V-shape cross section, a longitudinal ribon the edge of the male strip facing said female strip and fitting intosaid groove, a continuous generally cylindrical channel formedalongabout the apex; of said groove, saidribi'being higher than. thedistance from the base of the groove to said channel, and a resilientlycompressible packing strip in said ameter as said channel so that saidpacking groove.

3,.A sealingv device for luggage comprising a female strip adapted to besecured over the edges of one part of the luggage, and a male stripadapted to be secured over the edges of the complemental' part of thelug age} said female strip having-a longitudinal=groove-in= its edgeopposite said male strip, arib on' the edge of the male strip fittinginto said groove, anda resiliently compressible packing strip in thebottom of said grooveengageable by's'aid; rib, each of said stripshaving a'slot in its edge farthest from the other strip, said slot beingadapted to straddle the respective edges of I said luggage, said slotbeing offset in each strip toward the in"- side face of the strip toleave a thicker leg-on the outside of the luggage.

MAURICE P. KOCH.-

REFERENCES CITED 7 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 986,439 CampMar. 14, 1911 1 ,811,718 Hofbauer June 23;-'-1931 2,200,912; Stein May14,-1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date

